Bicycle cannibals: The fightback starts here

Quick release wheels have become standard issue on bicycles; great news when you need to change an inner tube at the roadside - not so good if you become a victim of bicycle cannibals.

As locks have become stronger, parts like handlebars, seats, shifters and quick release wheels are the target for a new breed of criminal. And it’s pretty much the perfect crime; bicycle components are easy to steal, usually impossible to trace and a breeze to sell on. Having parts stolen by bicycle cannibals is at best an inconvenience, but it’s also demoralising. Unless they are covered by insurance, it can be enough to put an occasional rider off cycling for good.

British engineer Curtis Dorrington devised Quick Caps to secure quick release wheels and deter opportunistic thieves. The 51-gram aluminium padlocks are sleek and unobtrusive. They cost £40 for a pair.

Win a set of Quick Caps

We have three sets of Quick Caps to give away. Leave us a comment at the bottom of this page and we'll pick some names next week.

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• Invest as much as you can afford in your lock and learn to use it properly – insurers specify that it needs to secure the bike frame for good reason. Don’t worry too much about getting the lock around the wheels or other bike parts as a good insurance policy will cover them against theft whether they are locked or not.
• Bike thieves might have the equipment to cut through padlocks and silently remove shed door hinges, but they don't like to feel they have an audience. Motion-activated security lights are cheap to buy, easy to install and thieves don't like them at all

The ethical choice

The ETA was established in 1990 as an ethical provider of green, reliable travel services. Over 30 years on, we continue to offer cycle insurance , breakdown cover and mobility scooter insurance while putting concern for the environment at the heart of all we do.

The Good Shopping Guide judges us to be the UK’s most ethical provider.

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